


Turn Left

by Cake and Pi (Tarrin)



Category: Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-05
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-06-05 05:09:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15163361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tarrin/pseuds/Cake%20and%20Pi
Summary: It's a simple undercover covert mission - infiltrate the Light and don't die. Except it's always the simple missions that go wrong.





	Turn Left

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lizzieonawhim](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lizzieonawhim/gifts).



> Written for yjficexchange's 2018 mini big bang event!

Roy had forgotten just how _fast_ Kaldur could run. Already he's got a stitch in his side, and the footsteps he's chasing are fading alarmingly fast. His heart thunders with the fear that not only is he not going to catch up, he's going to lose Kaldur altogether. He can't lose Kaldur. Not when he spent so long thinking, _believing_ , Kaldur had turned on them all. That he, of all people, had believed that... It was a testament to Kaldur's acting skills, or to Roy's quickness to judge. Maybe a bit of both. Regardless, he can't let Kaldur return to playing evil. He couldn't hardly handle it before, when he believed the lie Kaldur was feeding them all. He _really_ can't handle it now, knowing the truth. He won't be able to fight Kaldur, let alone help keep up the lie. His heart's already in tatters from it all, from the knowledge that if he can't catch up and let him know the mission's over, that it's time to come home to Roy... He can't take it. He can't stand the thought of having to watch Kaldur act the part, of having to continue to pretend to betray everyone.

"Kaldur!" He shouts. At his thoughts, at the man somewhere in front of him, he's not sure. The echoes of his shout die out before the tunnel opens up into a proper cave and Roy falters to a halt, managing to not quite stumble over his own feet though its a near thing. Kaldur's on the far side of the cave from him, blocking the far exit, standing upright and hardly breathing hard. He doesn't look like he'd just been in a battle and then fled said battle rather than join forces with the team. Roy, on the other hand, has to stop himself from bracing himself against his knees to catch his breath. Okay, that was a stupidly short run to be this out of breath from. Maybe Nightwing had had a point that Roy wasn't in his best shape anymore. That's the only thing he'll give Nightwing.

"Kaldur." Roy says again after a few seconds. Kaldur just looks at him silently, out of place and _wrong_ in that Manta armor. Roy's hands itch to tear it off of him, as if seeing Kaldur back in the uniform he ought to be wearing would make the wrongness of these past months disappear. And he's only a few feet away, just a few dozen steps and Roy could touch him, and yet his feet are rooted in place. Kaldur isn't moving either, looking at him with a blank stare that Roy can't read. Roy's never not been able to read Kaldur's expressions. Always, always he's managed to pick up on whether he's hiding amusement, or irritation, or tiredness, or if he's just calm. This, though. This is just pure _blankness_ and something twists in the pit of Roy's stomach. Something is very wrong here. He hasn't been successful as a solo act by ignoring that feeling.

But maybe, just maybe, that feeling's wrong. Kaldur's in deep cover, after all, and Nightwing hadn't been able to get the message out that he's pulling the plug on this mission. Maybe that's why he can't read Kaldur right now - Kaldur thinks he can't afford that. Thinks that Roy hasn't realized Kaldur hasn't actually changed allegiances. Of course Kaldur would play it safe and not break cover, not if there was a chance that Nightwing would need him to continue. So Roy straightens and holds out the hand that's not gripping his bow. "Kaldur." His voice is weird and echo-y against the rough stone walls. "Where are you going? Mission's over, you can come home now."

And - okay, okay, his feeling _must_ be wrong. Has to be. Because Kaldur's face softens and, _stars_ , Roy's missed that affectionate little turn of his mouth, and the water bearers he's been holding are holstered, and Kaldur's moving towards him.

Roy takes a step. Another. Then Kaldur is _there_ , the distance between them gone, and Roy turns his head into the hand that cups his face, closing his eyes. Kaldur's breath is warm against his cheek, and he swallows thickly against a tight knot of emotions as he feels soft lips press a kiss press against his temple. "I missed you." Roy murmurs into Kaldur's palm, dropping his bow to pull Kaldur into a tight embrace. It had been too long since he'd held Kaldur at all. After this disaster of a mission, he's not sure he'll ever let go again.

"I know." Kaldur murmurs. "And... I'm sorry." Roy's heart squeezes, as does his fingers on Kaldur's back. He wonders if Kaldur can feel that through the unforgiving armor.

"Yeah, you better be, not after not telling me what you were doing," Roy says gruffly. But there's no bite to his words, not for the moment, because despite Kaldur being dressed all wrong and having _run_ from him, for the moment things are right. Better than right. "Come on, the others are probably waiting for us." _Or need us to rescue them_ , he doesn't say. Kaldur already knew that the team was facing an uphill battle against the temporarily united forces of the Light and the Reach. The likelihood of that battle having ended in anything but a route for the team was... unlikely.

He doesn't want to let go. He wants to savor this, holding Kaldur like this, even with the damned armor. But all too soon he's making himself let go and step out of Kaldur's arms. To bend over to grab his bow. A hand touches his shoulder as he straightens, and he smiles lopsidedly at Kaldur. "Going to have to be creative; I've already run through most of my quiver." Not that he didn't have any other tricks, as Kaldur well knew, but his arrows were his favorite. "But after that, what do you say that we go home? Skip the mission reports and all that shit for a day."

It won't work, it _never_ has in the past, even when their relationship had been star-bright new and every spare moment had been spent making out when they weren't busy being naked together. Kaldur's lips tip into a tiny smile all the same. "Roy," he starts, then pauses, the smile disappearing. Roy feels his heartbeat speed up, anxiety blooming in his chest. He glances quickly over his shoulder, back the way he'd come; had they been snuck up on?

But there's no one there, at least no one that he can see. He turns back, then gasps for air as his vision turns white with sudden, searing pain.

Later, he remembers hands catching him, guiding his fall so he didn't just collapse on the floor. Later, he remembers the hand softly running through his hair. But that's later.

For now, he just struggles to remember how to breath.

"I _am_ going home." Kaldur says low in Roy's ear, once Roy manages to suck in a weak breath again. For a moment, it's just words, meaningless and only noise. Then the meaning filters through despite the lack of oxygen, and no. No. No, Kaldur couldn't... wouldn't... Roy sucks in another weak breath, wheezing, and he can feel tears prickle at his eyes. He blinks them back and glares up at Kaldur. From the unimpressed sneer on Kaldur's face, it's far from his best effort.

Nightwing was wrong. Nightwing was _wrong_ , and Roy can feel his world tilting sideways. Can feel his heart twisting and breaking and shattering. He's been betrayed, and Kaldur played him like a fiddle. Maybe Kaldur knew Roy had genuinely believed Kaldur had betrayed them - is betraying them? He can't keep it straight in his head. When had the lie become truth?

That doesn't matter. What matters is that he's the only person who knows where Kaldur is right now. What matters is that he's alone, he has almost no weapons, he can barely breath, and Kaldur's attacked him.

That expression doesn't belong on Kaldur's face. He's seen Kaldur annoyed before, and disappointed, and aggravated, and often as not Roy was the cause of those feelings. But Kaldur's never before looked like he's _disgusted_ with Roy. It's wrong, and if Roy could just _breathe_ he'd be trying to punch that expression off his face. He tries to anyway, and Kaldur just smacks his hand away like it was nothing.

"Fuck you," Roy manages weakly. He wants to say more, wants to rage at him for playing dirty, because _fuck_ Kaldur for using his feelings just to sucker punch him like that. Fuck him for breaking his heart. Fuck himself for letting his guard down to get his heart broken.

Kaldur stands and plucks Roy's bow from his grip, tossing it away from them. Not that Roy's in any real state to use it just now, but at least it would have been something, even without his arrows.

"Don't give me that look, like something's broken, Arrow." Roy snarls and throws another punch at Kaldur - just as weak and poorly aimed, but at least Kaldur takes a step back this time. Even so, it's lazy and just for show, as Roy's fist doesn't even make it to where Kaldur had been standing. It's been years since those words had any control over him, but for a heart-stopping second, Roy's terrified of losing time again. Of waking up and not knowing where he is, or why the sun's changed positions. And then anger surges forward, pure and bright and furious and consuming, and his breathing might be weak and he might feel like there's a hole where his spine should be, but he's alive and how _dare_ Kaldur. There's lines, and there's lines, and that was beyond crossing it.

"Fuck you," Roy says again, trying and failing to sound impressive. Kaldur snorts then grabs Roy's chin with bruising force and yanks hard, forcing Roy to look up at him.

"You're very lucky," Kaldur said, almost musingly, as if this were some thought exercise and not the world turned on it's side because Kaldur always, always pulls his punches. _Always_. Except not anymore, apparently, literally or figuratively. Roy tries to jerk his head out of his hold but Kaldur's grip tightens like a vice. "Very lucky, that there's no specific orders concerning you. Otherwise... " The musing tone leaves Kaldur's voice, and it turns as flat as the look in his eyes. A bit of cold metal presses against Roy's neck, and with a start he realizes Kaldur's drawn one of his water bearers. A icy chill runs down his spine; Roy's in trouble. "Otherwise this would be a lot messier."

* * *

The door crashes open as Artemis stalks through. Wally follows at a more sedate pace and closes their apartment door gently. "Babe," Wally doesn't know what he's going to say. Doesn't know what he can say, really, to get through Artemis's anger. Because, if he's being honest, he's just as angry, though he's trying to not let it make his decisions right now. Mostly he's succeeding.

"What the _fuck_ was Dick thinking? If he was thinking? Sending him out like that, without any backup, and not telling any of us?" Artemis fumes, stalking a path back and forth across the living room. Wally watches her for a few passes, to make sure she's not about to hurt herself punching the wall or something, before making his way around to the kitchen without getting in her path. Grabbing the box of protein bars off the top of the fridge, he hears a soft thump from the other room.

"Babe, the furniture did nothing wrong."

"It was just a pillow."

"Still." Wally says, just for the sake of saying it. He hears another thump, and comes out of the kitchen to watch Artemis continue to bombard the living room wall with couch pillows. As long as it stays pillows, and not her fists, he wouldn't need to interfere. "We could go back to the Cave, I'm sure Superboy would welcome a sparring match. Or Wonder Girl." He offers, after she depletes the pillow supply twice.

Artemis snorts, but doesn't make any move to make good on his suggestion. "I just... fuck, Wally. I had really thought... _really_ thought... And Dick knew, and let all of us think that he..." Artemis once again stomps over to grab the pillows she had thrown, and throws them back at the couch. Wally winces as one of them bounces off wrong, and moves to snatch it before it can break a lamp. "Sorry." She huffs, not sounding the least bit so. Wally shrugs and tucks the pillow under his arm.

"It's all good, babe. It's replaceable." It feels weird, to talk so lightly about their possessions, not when Artemis works so hard to make sure the two of them didn't go over budget between rent, going to school, and keeping themselves fed. Not when if one of them is breaking their stuff, it's usually himself in a belated burst of speed once he's realized he's running late for something.

Artemis just sighs and crosses her arms, hugging herself. "You seem very calm about all of this," she says. Wally can feel his eyebrows try to climb off his forehead.

"I'm not." It's his turn to snort when Artemis shoots him a disbelieving glance. "Trust me, I'm as mad at Dick as you are. He shouldn't have done what he did, and his excuses about it being to dangerous to tell anyone are just that - excuses, and piss-poor ones at that. I just got you to do the yelling for me for the moment."

He can see the whites of her knuckles for a moment as her fingers tighten, and for a second he thinks her anger's shifted to him. Sometimes that's easier, to argue over something neither of them really care about - like the ugly as sin wallpaper in the kitchen - than to feel powerlessly mad. This isn't one of those moments, though. Instead of arguing with him, Artemis just shakes her head and all but throws herself onto the couch. "Okay, so we both agree that Dick's plan was dumb as fuck. And that the next time he starts keeping secrets like that, we're going to remind him of this and just how it all blew up in his face."

Wally nods and sits down next to her, bumping their knees together. "Though, I don't think whatever's up with Kaldur is Dick's fault."

"No, that's just Kaldur's. Or M'gann's." Artemis covers her face with her hands. "This is so fucked up, Wally. Dick lied to all of us and sent Kaldur undercover, and now he's either actually changed sides for real, or M'gann left him open to being _brainwashed_ into changing sides, or both, _and_ the only thing keeping the Reach from taking over right now is the fucking _Light_."

Wally grimaces. The debriefing after that joke of a battle had been... rough. A full third of their beta team members were missing, and most everyone else was scattered to hell and back. Only a few managed to straggle in to the temporary 'base' Nightwing had set up after Mount Justice had been destroyed. Of them, only Wally was uninjured, thanks to a rapid healing ability that had finally started kicking in the past year. Everyone else had been sporting numerous bruises and cuts. Considering how quickly the mission had turned to all hell once the Light and Reach realized their two groups weren't the only ones present, it was pretty impressive that there weren't more injuries. That small, if unimportant, non-victory had lasted until Roy had arrived, looking like he'd fought Killer Croc with his bare fists.

From what Roy had to tell them, that would have been preferable. Having to fight the brainwashed League again would have been preferable. Having to redo high school for ten years would have been preferable.

And then M'gann had dropped that bomb on them - one that Wally would really rather not think about. That she was telepathic was one thing. That she'd use her powers like that - _had_ been using her powers like that - to wreck villains minds'... and then had wrecked Kaldur's.

He couldn't wrap his head around _M'gann_ , of all people, doing that. Which was dumb; he knew she was more than the bubbly 'human with green skin' girl she had pretended to be when she had first arrived on Earth. It had been years since she'd retreated to that act, and Wally knew she was as dangerous as any of them, had seen her prove it over and over and over. It still felt like a betrayal of all he knew about M'gann.

But she said she had. And that, after what she'd done, Kaldur shouldn't have even been walking again yet, let alone be able to do _that_ to Roy.

Artemis's voice draws him out of his thoughts. "I can't sit this out, Wally. Can't just go to school and let the rest of them shoulder this."

Wally grimaces and stuffs a protein bar in his mouth rather than say the first thing that comes to mind. Because it's horrifying. He knows how Artemis's mind works. She's been quiet too long to not be planning something. He steals a glance at her face. She's staring straight ahead, not looking at him, chin resting on her hands and Wally feels his chest tighten. That's a sure sign he's not going to like whatever she's going to say. Which means it's not going to be a 'let's go beat up bad guys as a team' plan. He needs time to think up arguments against it. But by the time he finishes chewing and swallows, he can't think of anything that's not some form of 'I'm not letting you', and honestly he'd rather end this day still being her boyfriend than being dumped on his ass.

"So, what's the plan?" He says instead, trying to hide his trepidation. He suspects he's failed at her wry smile.

"You aren't going to like it," she says, as if Wally couldn't figure that out for himself, before sketching out what she's come up with while she threw pillows at the wall. And she's right, he doesn't like any of it.

He wants to tell her no. To tell her that there's other plans that they could make, ones that don't have her doing this solo. Ones that don't put her neck-deep in a pit of vipers without any way out. Instead he just leans over and kisses her briefly on the mouth. "Let's go talk to Zatanna then."

* * *

If it was up to her, she'd tell Dick about the plan last, out of spite at his leaving them in the dark for so long about Kaldur's undercover mission. But Wally's right, in that her cover story is going to need to be beyond solid, so Dick gets brought in on her plan first. She takes consolation in that, having worked through her plan with Wally over the course of several days, Dick can't find any weak point in it and thus change things.

Zatanna's her second stop.

This is her third. Artemis stares at the door ahead of her, considers skipping this part for probably the millionth time. Then knocks anyway. She's about to pull out her lockpick set when Roy finally answers. "What is it?" He asks gruffly, door barely ajar.

"I've got a plan to get Kaldur back." Artemis states bluntly, stuffing her hands into her jacket pockets. "Let me in?" She doesn't wait for an answer, just walks forward as if of course Roy's going to open the door for her. It works, or her words startled him enough that she gets away with it without an argument about her just barging in. "Woah. You've actually cleaned for once."

"Shut up." Roy grumbles, closing the door behind her. "I don't have a whole lot to do right now."

"If only Wally did the same after breaking an arm." It was somewhat surreal to not see _any_ stray beer cans around Roy's place. The only other time she'd seen his place this clean was right before an apartment inspection. And even then there'd still been dust.

"You going to tell me why you're here instead of going after Kaldur anytime soon?" That brings back Artemis back to the present, instead of calculating if she still owes Roy enough favors that could result in another emergency apartment cleaning session. She flops down on Roy's couch, wincing as the springs squeak.

"Because I'm waiting for my cover story to be firmly in place. And for Zatanna to finish cooking up my disguise." At Roy's raised eyebrow, Artemis explains, "I'm going to go undercover as an up-and-coming shadow that wants to make a name for herself. More specifically, I'll be Zatanna's long-ignored, non-magical half-sister who wants to kick her ass because 'our' dad only cared about her. But in my thirst for vengeance, I forgot that she has magic, so I need someone to teach me to deal with that. Which is why I'll be going to Manta and trading on my reputation as a skilled hunter for lessons in magical butt-kicking. And sometime during that, I get close to Kaldur, then knock him out or restrain him, and bring him back. Then M'gann undoes whatever was done to him."

" _That_ is your plan?"

Artemis smile thinly, having expected Roy's incredulity. "I've done more complicated stuff on less." And she has, though the stakes haven't been as high.

"Also I don't think M'gann should be in Kaldur's head again."

"You got another idea on how to help him? Because I sure as hell don't know any other telepaths that aren't villains or are otherwise untrustworthy."

"And you trust M'gann?" She can hear the silent 'still'. She ignores it.

"As much as any of us." Artemis shrugs. Roy hadn't trusted her at first simply because of who she was related to, and that was before Roy and Kaldur had been dating. Of course Roy would distrust M'gann over this. "Sometimes people make really bad judgement calls. And anyway, yelling at her isn't going to do much good right now, especially if it makes her freeze up and unable to actually fix what she did." She keeps her voice light and airy, knowing it would aggravate Roy. "But that's not what I came here to discuss."

"No, really?" Roy asks sarcastically, sitting down on the far side of the couch and rubbing a hand over the hard cast on his right arm. "What do you need, then?"

Artemis leans forward and rests her elbows on her knees. "I need a favor. I need to know what Kaldur did to you. Why you dropped your guard."

Roy sucks in a breath and he looks away. Artemis frowns; just how much of a tender spot had she touched? "I would think that it'd be obvious, what he did."

"I'm not talking about your physical injuries, Roy. I've seen Kaldur spar, and sparred with him. I know what he's capable of physically, and I don't expect that to have changed. What I want to know is how low of emotional blows we're talking about here." When Roy doesn't answer, Artemis asks, "Did he threaten Lian?"

"No." Roy answers sharply. "No, I don't think he knows about her. _None_ of you guys did until after that farce of a battle."

"Then what?" Artemis bites her tongue to keep from sighing when Roy stands up and walks away. She knew before coming here that it was a long-shot that Roy would actually tell her. Roy rarely opened up at the best of times, and that was with people he was close to. And while things had improved between them since they'd first met, calling her and Roy 'close' was like calling Batman emotive compared to a rock. "I'm not asking out of some perverse sense of curiosity, Roy. If I'm going to bring Kaldur home, to you and to Lian and all of us, I need to know."

Roy's shoulders stiffen then fall, and Artemis knows she's broken through whatever was holding Roy back when he turns to look at her.

"He... he was himself. For a little while. It was him, and then... Then he knocked me out, one hit. I wasn't expecting it. Then he called me 'broken arrow', and. Well. Then this." He gestures at his injuries. "He said I was _lucky_ that there weren't orders for me... That'd it'd be messier otherwise."

Artemis feels her breath catch. Stars, that was fighting nasty, to use that phrase on Roy. That had been a bad, bad week, having to hunt down Roy after fighting off the mind-controlled League, to talk him down from his plan of disappearing forever because he felt like a fraud. To talk him into letting M'gann or Martian Manhunter in his mind to remove the code phrases that had been used to control him.

Then the rest of Roy's words filter through, and her eyes widen. "Orders?"

"He didn't elaborate. I wasn't in a position to ask." He rubs his jaw, where his skin has mostly healed, only a few ugly scabs left from ice being forcibly torn from his skin. "I don't know enough of Black Manta to guess what the orders might have been if he'd had any."

"No, that's... Fuck."

"What?" Roy's voice is sharp.

Artemis holds up her hands placatingly. "Before I say anything, there wasn't anything else that stood out from Kaldur's actions? That was all?"

"... Yeah."

"Then... do you think... that was a call for help? A signal, maybe?" Artemis hates herself for saying the words. It's guesswork and she might as well be shooting in the dark with an unfamiliar bow. "I mean, from what we observed with Conner, that's... out of place, to be that talkative. Unless, maybe he was told to say things like that?" They'd had to see how Conner acted while the mind control was 'on', to make sure they could fool Luthor when she, M'gann, and Conner had gone to Santa Prisca. Not that it had fooled Luthor in the end, but it had revealed Conner was talkative compared to when he was being controlled.

"I... don't know." Roy swallows. "Probably dangerous to assume that."

"Right." Artemis nods, then stands up. "Hey. Thanks."

"Heh." Roy snorts and waves off the hand she holds out. "Just promise me that you'll get him out of there."

"Archer's honor." She says with an off-hand salute before seeing herself out. Outside, the air is cool and brisk. Artemis inhales deeply, trying to push down a nervousness that had sprung up with the idea that there was enough left of Kaldur to fight back. If so, if some bit of Kaldur was still aware... everything would be a thousand times more dangerous. She'd have to be extremely careful to not emulate any of her habits, once she had managed to get onto Manta's submarine. If some part of Kaldur was still there, could still break free... those habits would be a dead giveaway. He would notice. And then it would become a question of if Kaldur could keep secrets from himself.

Better to not let it get to that point. Artemis draws in another breath, savoring the smell of rain in the air, before setting off. Zatanna and Dick should be just about done with the finishing touches on Artemis's new identity by now. Soon enough it would be time for to 'fight' Zatanna, lose, and then flee and 'seriously injure' a fake, conjured up copy of herself on the way. With any luck, it would be enough that people would believe the hero Artemis was out of the picture for a while, and enough that Black Manta would believe her story.

It would have to be enough. There wouldn't be any second chances to this.

* * *

Kaldur frowns at the mirror, at the face that stares back at him. It blinks when he blinks, makes the same faces as he does. But at the same time, its like staring at someone just mimicking him. Making a mockery of him. If he could just smash through the glass and grab the other him, then maybe he could feel in control of himself again.

But neither science nor mystic arts work like that, so Kaldur has to settle for gripping the sink with white knuckled strength.

Not for the first time, he wordlessly curses the plan - _his_ plan - that sent him down here to avenge Tula. He'd known then that this would be no easy 'in and out' mission to finish within a single night. He would have to throw all of himself into it to survive it, and he had done just that. Well enough to still be breathing. Not so well that Nightwing had given him the signal to withdraw. Just well enough to alienate all of his friends and teammates, to the point that M'gann had attacked him. Just poor enough that neither the Light nor the Reach had been toppled, like the plan had called for, and instead the two groups were vying for control of Earth while his friends and teammates hid away.

And.

And -

There's something else. Something he can't quite remember, can't quite reach. He thinks he remembers seeing Roy, out of breath and telling him to come home. He can remember red hair, and an echoing voice, but its not clear like it should be. And after...

And after, he's back on Manta's submarine, giving a speech to Manta's men. He can remember that clear enough. The bile that had spewed from his mouth, about victories and a step towards building a better future. Anything in between just... isn't there. All he has are observations. His body had been tired and sore, and the water levels in his waterpack low, as if he'd been fighting.

He doesn't remember fighting, not after his father had given the signal to withdraw. He remembers getting separated on the way.

He also has a few arrows, the wood damaged and split.

That's all.

That he's been unable to regain _any_ memory of what happened since worries him. That there's been zero media sightings of Red Arrow since then... It all leads to a whirling pit in his stomach.

He doesn't know how long he stands there, staring at himself. Too long, though. There's a small, soft beeping coming from the next room, a reminder that he has a meeting with his father scheduled in the next half hour. He straightens, gives the mirror one last glance - not a seam on his clothes out of place, and his hair's too short for mussed to even be a fever dream - and leaves to silence the beeping. The memory gap he can deal with later. For now he has a report to put together on a potential team to take out some former allies in the Light and the Reach.


End file.
